Taco News

Taco-slinger opens new Tijuana-style taqueria at Dallas' Trinity Groves

The tacos promise to be pretty pretty good.

Photo courtesy of Tacos Mariachi

An award-winning Dallas chef and restaurateur is opening a new concept in Trinity Groves, the restaurant incubator in West Dallas: Called Milagro, it's a new taco-focused restaurant from Jesus Carmona, and according to a release, it will open sometime in May.

Carmona became famous after his previous taco concept, Tacos Mariachi, located right down the street from Trinity Groves, was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. (He became even more famous after he was named one of the eight Rising Star Chefs in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards.) He was forced to close Tacos Mariachi in 2020 due to COVID-19, but has since opened Chimichurri, an Argentinian bistro in the Bishop Arts District in the former Tillman's space.

Carmona was contacted by the Trinity Groves group to do a taqueria in a new retail space located in Phase Two of Cypress at Trinity Groves, an apartment building at 400 Singleton Blvd., where Milagro will occupy a 2,300-square-foot space, with outdoor patio.

Food
While the menu at Tacos Mariachi summoned the Baja coast, the menu at Milagro will focus on Tijuana-style tacos, although it will have some carryover from Mariachi. Dishes include:

Mahi Mahi Birria Tacos
Pork Belly Al Pipil Tacos
Campeona Burger on a brioche bun, with avocado mousse, sautéed shrimp, asado cheese, crumbled chicharron, and a jalapeno glaze

Los Angeles magazine describes Tijuana-style tacos as being filled with roughly chopped beef, wrapped into cone-shaped bundles, using corn tortillas, with a dollop of guacamole but light on other toppings.

There will also be three types of Sinaloa-style ceviche and veggie bowls, with carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, elote, and cilantro pesto.

Drink
A menu of drinks to complement the food has been created by Dallas cocktail wizard James Slater, featuring tequila, mezcal, and fresh-squeezed juices. Mexican beers will be served, including 32-ounce Caguamas, and they'll also offer Tacos Mariachi's signature Cucumber Lemonade.

Carmona says in a statement that he's excited for this opportunity.

"I'm so passionate about Tijuana's rich culture and cuisine, and I can’t wait to share tacos, ceviche, and plenty of good conversations in the new restaurant," Carmona says. "When the owners of Trinity Groves offered me this space, I knew this was a perfect time to get back into the taco game. I can’t wait to unveil Milagro and show everyone what we’ve been working on."

tacos openings

Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 new happy hours for February

Even Coast

The Frozen John D at Even Coast.

The February edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column on restaurants and bars you can get a drink at, travels far and wide to find the best and most exotic happy hours around: From sushi deals in downtown Dallas to $5 margaritas in Collin County to Indian bar bites in Irving.

(If you're in a more date-night frame of mind, be sure to consult our list of places where you can share a sweet Valentine's Day meal.)

Here are five happy hours to try in February:

Cafe Gecko
Laid-back perennial favorite in Richardson has just unveiled a brand new happy hour menu featuring their delectable versions of classic bar food treats including pizza fries, pretzel bites, chicharrones, onion rings, and fried pickles, priced from $5-$7, plus $1 off everything in the bar. It's served Monday all day, and Tuesday-Friday from 3-7 pm.

Dozo Omakase
Omakase sushi restaurant which opened a year ago at Trinity Groves with a compact menu that includes the trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, available in small or large versions. They do a cool approach to happy hour by introducing a new menu nearly every month. For February, it includes items from the sushi bar and the kitchen including half-price nigiri, sushi hand rolls for $8, gyoza for $6, crispy rice tuna for $10, and miso soup for a bargain $2.50. Cocktails include sake for $9 and a Kyoto highball cocktail for $11.

Even Coast
Neighborhood restaurant from chef Omar Flores opened on the Addison-Dallas line in 2024 with seafood, pastas, and steaks — and now happy hour. It's a good one, served from 2-6 pm every day with its own menu of $3 oysters, $10 cheeseburgers, and salmon dip. House cocktails are $9, including a rotating flavor frozen drink; a pint of beer is $6, and wine by the glass is $9. The only restriction is where: On Friday-Saturday, it's available only at the bar; Sunday-Thursday, it's also available in the dining room and on the patio.

Neon Cactus
Congenial Mexican restaurant in Fairview has a happy hour with deals that surely seem worth driving for: They run Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm and include margaritas for $5, domestic beers for $4, wine by the glass for $5, and well drinks for $4. They also have daily food specials that run all day, such as queso blanco and chicken tinga flautas, $10 each on Thursdays, and taco plates with rice and beans, $10 to $12 on Tuesdays.

Nirvana
Sultry Indian lounge at Toyota Music Factory with DJ, dance floor, and rooftop patio has what may be the worst website in the world — but buried beneath the PTSD flash graphics and music is a worthy happy hour, served from 4-7 pm featuring $2 off all cocktails, including the Hunan Heatwave with tequila and tandoori pineapple, and the Beijing Berry mocktail with mixed berries and ginger ale. Plus Indian-themed bar snacks such as "drums of heaven" AKA chicken lollipops; street-style chow mein, and crispy chili corn.

cocktails where to drink